“Pianos Plus” eight-hand-two-piano group, which first began performing in Redlands 29 years ago, will present The Spinet music organization program Tuesday, April 9.
The public is invited to the program which begins at 7 p.m. at the Contemporary Club, 173 S. Eureka St. The event is co-sponsored by A.K. Smiley Public Library.
Performers Dianna Bradley, Mary Lou Jones, Sally Rehfeldt and Nelda Stuck are delighted to have available for performance the two 100-year-old Steinway pianos recently refurbished and owned by the Contemporary Club.
The quartet will perform: Debussy’s “Premiere Arabesque,” Bach’s “Fugue No. 12 in F minor” from “The Well-Tempered Clavier”; a Slavonic Dance by Dvorak; “Spanish Dance No. 1” by Moszkowski; and “Perpetual Commotion” and “Rush Hour” by contemporary composer Kevin Olson.
Rehfeldt and Bradley will perform two movements from what is believed to be Mozart’s only sonata written for two pianos.
Jones and Stuck will perform duo arrangements of “The Carousel Waltz” by Richard Rodgers and the Bach’s “Choral, In Thee is Gladness.”
Bradley received her master’s degree in piano performance from the University of Redlands, studying with Alexandra Pierce. She worked as a private and class piano teacher and accompanist at UR and Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale and is currently accompanist for Our Savior Lutheran Church and the Pass Chorale in Banning.
Jones earned her bachelor’s degree from College of Idaho at Caldwell in psychology and her master’s degree in student personnel work from Syracuse University, New York. She served as executive director of the Redlands Symphony Association in its formative years, worked in community relations at Plymouth Village, and as Community Services coordinator for the Emergency Housing Consortium in San Jose. She has taught piano and has sung with a number of choral groups.
Rehfeldt earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organ performance with honors from the University of Arizona in Tucson, with further study at the University of Michigan and Claremont College. A former adjunct professor at the University of Redlands, she served 43 years as organist for the Redlands First Presbyterian Church where she also directed the youth and children’s choirs (25 years), the Chancel Choir (5 years), and was founding director of the handbell program (12 years). Recently the director of music for Community Presbyterian Church, she is currently the organist for the First Baptist Church of Redlands as well as wedding pianist for the Edwards Mansion and teaches private piano lessons.
Stuck earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism, her master’s in radio and television news, and studied organ at Michigan State University, East Lansing. She taught piano 30 years including during 17 moves with her Air Force husband. She served as chapel organist and youth choir director at George Air Force Base, and has rung hand bells for 40 years and served as an accompanist at First Congregational Church of Redlands. She is retired from 22 years as Community and the Arts editor of the Redlands Daily Facts, and has volunteered 25 years to get the Museum of Redlands up and running.